“The three B’s!” chuckled Jane, who could not guess why the Brownie leader was signaling her to remain quiet.
“The Stone family is very poor,” Miss Gordon explained in an undertone. “Don’t make fun of their dishpans. Their parents can’t afford to buy them sleds.”
“Oh!” murmured Jane, very much ashamed that she had spoken so hastily. “I’m sorry!”
Connie had been watching the Stone children and could see that they were very envious of the Brownie troop’s sleds and her shiny new skis. She couldn’t blame them a bit for feeling that way.
An idea came to her.
“Oh, Miss Gordon,” she said earnestly, “can’t we heeley, eeley leedy pie?”
Now the Stone children were climbing the hill with their dishpans. Connie had used the Brownie secret language so that the youngsters, even if they heard, would not know they were being discussed.
All the Brownies understood that Connie really had said: “Can’t we help?” The game was one the troop members frequently played. Each nonsensical word made use of each letter of the word that actually was meant.
Of course, Veve, not being a Brownie, was as deeply mystified as the Stone children. She thought Connie was talking a foreign language.
“Your idea is an excellent one, Connie,” approved the Brownie leader. “Come along, all of you, and we’ll meet the Stone children.”